Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Title: Where She Went

Author: Gayle Forman

Publisher: Dutton

Pub. Date: April 5, 2011

Length: 264 Pages

Series: If I Stay #2

Summary (from author's website):

It’s been three years since the devastating accident … three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future—and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Immediate Thoughts Upon Finishing:This book right here is the reason I read. This is why I love Gayle Forman and everything she's written.

My Thoughts (Offical Review): It's hard for me to write reviews for books like Where She Went. Sometimes, I can't even write the review, because the book left me completely speechless (in a good way!). However, I am trying very hard with this one to put into words my feelings for the book and to get my review out there, simply because it was breathtakingly beautiful. I had heard from several people that Where She Went was better than the prequel, and I believed them, I just didn't think it was possible for it to be this much better, considering how much I loved If I Stay.

Where She Went is Adam's story, set three years after If I Stay. He and Mia were together for years, and during those years, they were in love. But after the accident, Mia started to draw back from him, until eventually, she left him altogether. Now, Adam's band is the biggest thing in L.A. and Mia is a rising star in the world of classical music. From the outside they are fine. It's as if they never knew each other. But if you look a little deeper, you realize that things are far from fine. Despite his rock star status, Adam is a mess: burned out and empty. Mia's leaving did things to him, and he can't seem to follow the promise he made to her the day she lost her family.

Adam. He's a beautiful mess, and I love him for that. He got to me in a way most characters never do, making him one that will linger in my mind for a long, long time. His story was beautifully written, flawless, and full of emotion. Going into it, I didn't know much about how he had changed, and I want it to be the same for everyone. I loved him. That's all I'll say.

Where She Went is vulnerable, powerful, amazing, heartbreaking, beautiful, and I loved every minute of it. It's another emotional read by Miss Forman, one that made me think a lot. I'm sad to see this series go, but at the same time, it's the perfect ending to Adam and Mia's story and I'm glad it ended this way. Where She Went is a must read for teens and adults both. If you have not read this one or it's prequel yet, go buy them both right now. You won't regret it.

Other Noteables that made Where She Went one of my all time favorite books:
♥ The POV was Adam's. I liked his voice better than Mia's. I liked her's too, but Adam's was just.... more engaging I guess. Its hard for me to say.
♥ The plot. Though the book mainly takes place during one day, it was beautiful. The perfect wrap up for Adam and Mia.
♥ The characters. Mainly Adam. I think I'm in love with him.
♥ That it was in the future. If it had been set right where If I Stay left off, I don't think it would have been nearly as good.
♥ The lyrics and the music. I loved the importance of the music and reading Adam's lyrics.
♥ How it tied with Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta for being my favorite book. Ever.

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Publisher: Dutton

Pub. Date: January 1, 2009

Length: 196 Pages

Series: If I Stay #1

Summary (from author's website):

On a day that started like any other…

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, adoring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. Then, in an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the one decision she has left—the most important decision she’ll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.

My Thoughts: Books as breathtaking as If I Stay are few and far between. There are books you put on your favorite shelf and there are books that you want to carry with you all the time, just because they were that beautiful. Again, If I Stay is one of those books. This is a reread, to refresh my mind on the book for  when I read Where She Went and to finally get a review up, yet I am still amazing by If I Stay.  It's one of those books you just want to recommend to everyone and rave about until your throat hurts.

One of the great things about emotional books is that while they may be sad, they touch your heart and stay with you for a long, long time.  These books make you think quite a lot, cry, and sometimes even laugh, making them (in my opinion) one of the best types of books you can read. 

It's a rare thing that I either like or love every character in a book, but in If I Stay, I did.  Her parents, Teddy, her grandparents, Kim, Adam.... everyone was wonderful. I felt as if I knew them all very well, despite having never actually met them in the present tense during the story. I  love how Mia took the time to revisit moments of her life, the important ones and simple ones, as if she is trying to hold onto those memories and keep her family together the way it was before the accident, undamaged. 

Despite the small length of this book, a mere 196 pages, it felt unrushed and full. Gayle Forman's writing is beautiful, enhancing the novel in ways others' writings could simply not do. Her story gripped me tightly right from the start and didn't let go until the last word. My suggestion? Read If I Stay. Then, once you have been captivated by it, go read Adam's story,  Where She Went. I have no doubt that it will be as amazing, if not better, than If I Stay.